Mayville is the county seat of Chautauqua County, NY and was a station on the Pennsylvania Railroad‘s Chautauqua Branch, formerly the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad. It was also served by the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad, and the Chautauqua Traction interurban electric railroad.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Buffalo and Oil Creek Cross Cut Rail Road Company built the line from Brocton, NY to Corry, PA through Mayville in 1866. The line was later operated by the Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh Rail Road Company (1867 – 1879), the Dunkirk, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railroad (1879 – 1879), the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railway (1879 – 1879), the Pittsburgh, Titusville and Buffalo Railway (1879 – 1880), the Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Western Railroad Company (1880 – 1883), the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad (1883 – 1887), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad (1887 – 1895), the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railway (1895 – 1900), the Pennsylvania Railroad (1900 – 1968), the Penn Central Railroad (1968 – 1967), and Conrail (1976 – 1977). The line was abandoned and scrapped in June 1977.
This wooden structure burned in 1923 and was replaced by a single-story brick building, which is still standing and is currently the home of the Mayville Depot Museum.
Pennsylvania Railroad Station Photographs
A 2020 photo showing the former Pennsylvania Railroad station in Mayville, NY. ny.existingstations.com.
Undated postcard looking north-east up Depot Street in Mayville, NY. The Pennsylvania Railroad station and water tank are visible on the right side of the street. Note the Chautauqua Traction Company tracks on the shoulder of the street. ebay.com.
The Pennsylvania Railroad station in Mayville, NY. flickr.com.
A view looking north toward the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Mayville, NY. Chautauqua Lake is out of sight on the left side of the photo behind the train. Date unknown but likely mid-1890s based on the type of locomotive. Photo posted to the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” group.
A view from the road in Mayville, NY looking past the Pennsylvania Railroad station towards the dock on Chautauqua Lake where steamships would tie up. Postcard posted on the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” page.
A view of the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Mayville, NY as seen from a boat docked at the pier unto Chautauqua Lake. Postcard found on the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” group.
A view of the Pennsylvania Railroad station in Mayville, NY from Chautauqua Lake. Postcard from the author’s collection.
A drawing of the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad (later part of the Pennsylvania Railroad) station in Mayville, NY from the 1880s. Found on the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” group.
A 1915 postcard showing the Pennsylvania Railroad station and pier on Chautauqua Lake in Mayville, NY. The station shown in the postcard was replaced in 1925 with a single-story brick station. ebay.com.
Other Pennsylvania Railroad Photographs from Mayville
A Pennsylvania Railroad train in Mayville, NY in the 1940s. Photo found on the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” group.
Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad 4-4-0 locomotive number 41 leading a northbound train at the station in Mayville, NY. The WNY&P was acquired by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1895 so this photo is earlier than that, but I don’t know exactly when. Photo found on the Facebook “Chautauqua County Views” group.
Electric Railroads
Mayville was also served by the Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad which ran along the east side of Chautauqua Lake and Chautauqua Traction Company electric interurban line which ran along the west side of the lake and through downtown. Both companies ran north from Mayville to Westfield (with the Chautauqua Traction extending to Barcelona on the shores of Lake Erie).
A view of the rear of Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad car 302 at the station in Mayville, NY around 1945. The truck on the right side of the car is delivering and picking up mail from the train. Photo found on eBay.
Jamestown Westfield and Northwestern Railroad car 303 at the station in Mayville, NY in 1947. Photo posted by the Chautauqua Township Historical Society on their Facebook page.
Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad car 312 at the station at the foot of East Chautauqua Street in Mayville, NY in 1946. Photo posted by the Chautauqua Township Historical Society on Facebook.
Clippings
Timetables
A timetable effective on November 24, 1890 on the Chautauqua Lake Railway. Found on eBay.
Timetable of trains on the Jamestown and Lake Erie Railway effective December 12, 1894. Dunkirk [NY] Evening Observer, 1 April 1895, p. 4, NYS Historic Newspapers.
The Travelers Guide showing departures of trains on different railroad (Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad, Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh Railroad, Erie Railway, and New York Central Railroad) from various cities and towns (Buffalo, Dunkirk, Brocton, Mayville, and Forestville) in Western New York. Chautauqua Farmer. Forestville, NY. March 5, 1870.
April 19, 1876 timetable on the Buffalo, Corry and Pittsburgh Railroad. Westfield (NY) Republican. April 19, 1876.
Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad, or potentially the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburg Railroad, timetable effective November 21, 1878. Though titled the “Chautauqua Lake R. R.” the later railroad with that name ran on a completely different route. Westfield Republican. Westfield, NY. January 8, 1879
A January 8, 1879 timetable of trains running on the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railway. Westfield [NY] Republican, 8 January 1879, p. 4, NYS Historic Newspapers
A timetable for the Buffalo, Chautauqua Lake and Pittsburgh Railway effective August 4, 1879. The Chautauqua News. Sherman, NY. December 24, 1879.
A timetable showing the schedule of trains from Buffalo on the Pittsburgh, Titusville and Buffalo Railway effective July 11, 1880. Buffalo (NY) Morning Express. 17 August 1880 from nyshistoricnewspapers.org.
A June 8, 1884 timetable of trains leaving Buffalo, NY on the Buffalo, New York and Philadelphia Railroad. The Evening Republic. Buffalo, NY. June 20, 1884.
A timetable on the Pittsburgh Division of the Buffalo, New York and Pittsburgh Railroad effective November 23, 1884. Silver Creek (NY) Local. February 6, 1885.
Timetable of trains departing Sherman, NY on the Western New York and Pennsylvania Railroad effective November 10, 1889. The Chautauqua News. Sherman, NY. June 11, 1890.
A June 14, 1891 timetable of trains on the Western New York & Pennsylvania Railroad Pittsburg Division. Traveler’s Official Guide, June 1891. Google Books.
A timetable, effective January 1, 1903, on the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railway. Source Unknown.
The timetable, effective November 15, 1903, and listing for the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railway in the January 1904 issue of the “Official Guide to the Railways.” Official Guide to the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, January 1904. Found on Google Books.
A timetable of trains on the Pennsylvania Railroad Chautauqua Branch effective November 29, 1903. Travelers Official Guide of the Railway and Steam Navigation Lines, February 1904. Found on Google Books.
A January 1, 1904 timetable on the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railway. Westfield [NY] Republican, 13 January 1904, p. 6, NYS Historic Newspapers.
An abbreviated timetable for the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railway effective June 29, 1906. The Chautauqua News, Sherman, NY, 25 September 1906, p. 8, NYS Historic Newspapers.
The listing for the Jamestown, Chautauqua and Lake Erie Railway in the January 1908 issue of the “Official Guide to the Railways.” Official Guide to the Railways and Steam Navigation Lines of the United States, January 1908. Found on Google Books.
Timetable of trains depart from Mayville, NY on the Chautauqua Traction Company, Jamestown, Westfield and Northwestern Railroad, and the Chautauqua branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. Mayville [NY] Sentinel, 13 March 1925, p. 6, NYS Historic Newspapers.
Learn More
- Wikipedia. “Mayville, NY“